WHAT IS SURGE?

Scaling Up Regional Economies (SURGE) is building the future of Arkansas by scaling up our state’s technical capacity and strengthening the regional economy. We unite leaders in science, technology, and industry to help Arkansas-based tech companies grow and thrive.

Entrepreneurship and innovation are core to the DNA of Arkansas. Our business community is driven by doers and connectors—people who roll up their sleeves and build. SURGE harnesses that entrepreneurial spirit, leveraging creativity, grit, and a powerful statewide network to secure investments and create lasting impact for all Arkansans.

Our Vision

• Connect stakeholders across the state to build, make, and solve problems through technology.
• Accelerate our tech industry by supporting the workforce of the future.
• Grow our technology capabilities to serve the next generation—and generations to come.

Our Background

SURGE Arkansas was established in 2023 under direction of the Arkansas Department of Commerce.

The original intent of the organization was to function as the State’s CHIPS+ Act response team. SURGE collaborated with stakeholders across Arkansas to support activities including:

• Hosted a Proposer's Day event in June of 2023 for the EDA Tech Hubs program, and assisted proposers with their submissions
• Co-hosted the CHIPS+ America event at the University of Arkansas in August of 2023 and held multiple webinars to assist proposers to NIST funding opportunities
• Supported Arkansas Tech University, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, North Arkansas College, and Southern Arkansas University in submitting successful proposals to the National Science Foundation EPIIC program, which resulted in $1,600,000 in awards to the state

Moving forward, SURGE intends to find meaningful ways to support cross-sector collaboration and grow our region's economic capacity.